The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a watch-bracelet component with the use of a sintered body.
Watch-bracelet components are roughly classified as a rolled bracelet and a block bracelet.
The rolled bracelet is manufactured by rolling a metal plate which has been cut to a predetermined length. The block bracelet is manufactured by pressing a metal block to a bracelet shape and then subjecting the pressed metal block to a required hole-processing.
In the manufacturing method of a rolled bracelet, the resulting bracelet cannot significantly have a complicated shape or have a pattern, since the bracelet has a simple structure formed only by rolling the metal plate. Additionally, the rolled bracelet inevitably has a joint of the metal plate, and has the risk of opening the joint. Accordingly, a subsequent step of bonding the joint by, for example, soldering is required in order to eliminate the joint of the metal plate.
Separately, the manufacturing method of a block bracelet cannot significantly form a complicated shape and there is a limit in shape of the resulting bracelet, since the bracelet is formed by pressing. Additionally, hole processing cannot be performed concurrently with pressing, and the manufacturing method requires an additional extra step.
Moreover, when the raw material of the watch-bracelet component is a hard-to-process material, the aforementioned two manufacturing methods cannot manufacture the product watch-bracelet component or require a great deal of effort and time.
As described above, the conventional manufacturing methods of a watch-bracelet component have disadvantages that there is a limit to the shape of the bracelet component, that the manufacturing processes are complicated, and that appropriate materials are confined.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a watch-bracelet component, which can easily manufacture even the bracelet component has a complicated shape, and which has a wide range of materials to choose from.
(1) A first method of manufacturing a watch-bracelet component according to the present invention includes the steps of:
subjecting a feed stock containing a raw material powder to extrusion molding to thereby form a long green body with an odd-shaped cross section having a hollow hole;
cutting the long green body to a predetermined length;
debinding the cut green body; and
sintering the debound body to thereby yield a sintered body.
(2) A second method of manufacturing a watch-bracelet component according to the present invention includes the steps of:
subjecting a feed stock containing a raw material powder to extrusion molding to thereby form a long green body with an odd-shaped cross section having a hollow hole;
debinding the long green body;
cutting the debound body to a predetermined length; and
sintering the cut debound body to thereby yield a sintered body.
(3) A third method of manufacturing a watch-bracelet component according to the present invention includes the steps of:
subjecting a feed stock containing a raw material powder to extrusion molding to thereby form a long green body with an odd-shaped cross section having a hollow hole;
debinding the long green body;
sintering the debound body to thereby yield a sintered body; and
cutting the sintered body to a predetermined length.
(4) A fourth method of manufacturing a watch-bracelet component according to the present invention includes the steps of:
subjecting a feed stock containing a raw material powder to extrusion molding to thereby form a long green body with an odd-shaped cross section having a hollow hole;
debinding the long green body;
preliminary sintering the debound body to thereby yield a primary sintered body;
cutting the primary sintered body to a predetermined length; and
finally sintering the cut primary sintered body to thereby yield a secondary sintered body.
(5) Preferably, two or more hollow holes are formed in the ultimately obtained sintered body.
(6) The hollow hole in the ultimately obtained sintered body preferably has a diameter of 0.3 to 5 mm.
(7) The raw material powder is preferably a metal powder or a ceramic powder.
(8) The ultimately obtained sintered body preferably has a porosity of less than 5%.
(9) The cutting length of the ultimately obtained sintered body can be preferably set at 2 mm or more in the cutting.